1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the sorting of objects, and more particularly to the sorting of mass produced, customized objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sorting devices are known for separately guiding finished parts to different discharge areas adjacent to tooling or packaging machines. Typically, sorting devices operate as a post-processing tool that is used to sort finished pieces.
Generally, finished pieces are identified on the basis of the quality of the material or the type of material. For example, only parts possessing a similar quality of material are selected and packaged together. The packaging station performs similar operations on similar parts. In most instances, parts having unique or customized features that must be packaged together are not readily accommodated. Presently, the sorting and packaging of unique, customized parts must be done manually to ensure accuracy.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a simple and efficient sorting and selecting system that brings a variety of associated objects together during a production process with resulting improvements in efficiency and productivity.